This section is intended to provide a background or context to the embodiments disclosed below. The description herein may include concepts that could be pursued, but are not necessarily ones that have been previously conceived, implemented or described. Therefore, unless otherwise explicitly indicated herein, what is described in this section is not prior art to the description in this application and is not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
In the most basic form a laser has a final optical surface through which optical radiation (light) can pass and propagate in space beyond the laser. The final optical surface is susceptible to some damage when a power from the laser is absorbed by external contaminants that may adhere to the final optical surface. Localized heating of the contaminants often results in vaporization of coatings and substrate material of the final optic component. The final optic component may be a window, a laser output coupling mirror, a prism, a lens or the like. The final optic component may be an expensive component by itself, but more importantly this component can be required to protect an internal environment of the laser. When damage develops on the final optical surface, the power from the laser can drill a hole through the final optic surface starting from outside of the laser. If the final optic component is fully punctured, the entire laser resonator cavity may be damaged beyond repair.